Crispy Sous Vide Fried Chicken

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Never worry about undercooking your fried chicken again! This crispy Sous Vide Fried Chicken is cooked to juicy and tender perfection with an irresistible crunchy coating. The sous vide method is so much easier than frying chicken the traditional way!

When you think of some of the more popular comfort foods, crispy fried chicken is pretty high on the list. And while take-out chicken is always an option, there is nothing better than homemade fried chicken. 

We love this Indian fried chicken or this crispy Thai fried chicken with waffles, but this sous vide fried chicken is definitely next level.

I know frying chicken can be a little intimidating. There’s always the worry that it’s going to be undercooked in the middle and too browned on the outside. Or it’s going to be overcooked in the middle and way too dry.  

The sous vide takes these worries away. Cooking your chicken in a water bath with a controlled temperature is the easiest way to ensure your chicken is evenly cooked with the best texture. It’s hard to undercook or overcook your chicken this way.

And what about the crispy coating? That’s easy too. You’ll quickly bread the chicken after it’s cooked and fry it in oil for just a few minutes to create that signature crunchy and golden brown crust. Nothing to it!

Check out the sous vide fried chicken story!

What is Sous Vide?

Sous vide is basically a method of cooking using what is called an immersion circulator. This immersion circulator circulates water in a temperature controlled water bath at a certain temperature to perfectly cook your food every time.

Because the temperature doesn't change, and it keeps your meat (or dessert, veggies, etc.) at the same temperature, your risk of overcooking becomes very minimal.

To learn even more about sous vide cooking, head over and read "what is sous vide cooking."

What is the Water Displacement Method?

The displacement method is where you slowly submerge a ziplock bag in water pushing the air out of the top of the bag (the bag should be slightly open at the top to allow air to escape).

Use a clip (I use binder clips) to clip the bag to the side to keep it from floating and getting air and/or water inside.

Tools Used

• Anova Precision Sous Vide Cooker
• 12 quart container
• Vacuum sealer
• Vacuum seal bags

Other sous vide recipes to try

• Sous Vide Veal Chops with Miso Mushroom Sauce
• Sous Vide Chicken Breast with Garlic Butter
• Sous Vide Duck Breast with Orange Glaze
• Sous Vide Lamb Chops with Mint Chimichurri
• Sous Vide Crème Brulee to satisfy your sweet tooth

Why this recipe works

1. It’s an easy way to prepare fried chicken. While you need to fry the chicken for a few minutes at the end, the sous vide part is pretty hands off.
2. It’s a fool proof way to get perfectly and evenly cooked chicken. The controlled temperature of a sous vide water bath means your chicken is not undercooked or dried out, and always deliciously tender and juicy.
3. You can actually make it ahead of time. With the sous vide, you can cook your chicken in advance, and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to bread it and fry.

Ingredients

The full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

You’ll need 2-3 pounds of chicken thighs (or about 4-6 thighs depending on their size). I prefer to use bone-in and skin on chicken thighs because they’re so much more flavorful than boneless. And leaving the skin on thighs is essential for fried chicken! 

Once the chicken is cooked in the sous vide, you’ll need to bread it for frying. Buttermilk is used in the breading process as it adds a tangy flavor to the crispy coating.

If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own. For this recipe, just add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar or lemon juice to a 2-cup measuring cup, and fill it up with milk. Stir and let it sit for 5 minutes until the milk starts to curdle. 

Hot sauce is mixed into the buttermilk to add some heat to the breading. I used Louisiana hot sauce, but you can use the hot sauce of your choice.

Of course, flour is essential for the crispy breading. To ensure it’s extra crispy, I mixed in some cornstarch with the flour.

As if we didn’t have enough heat for this fried chicken, you’ll also want to season the flour/cornstarch coating with cajun seasoning and cayenne pepper! (The cayenne is optional, especially if you don’t like extra spicy food).

Lastly, to fry the chicken, you’ll need a good amount of oil. I normally use canola, vegetable or peanut oil because they have a higher smoke point, ensuring it won't burn and give your chicken a bitter taste.

Step by step instructions

Heat a sous vide water bath to 155F degrees.

Season the chicken on both sides with some salt and pepper.

Place the chicken in a sealable bag. Use a vacuum sealer to vacuum seal the bag, or use a heavy duty ziplock bag along with the water displacement method (see above) to remove the air from the bag.

Cook for 90 minutes. You can leave the chicken in the water bath for up to 3 hours before it will start to become too mushy.

While the chicken cooks, mix together the buttermilk and hot sauce and store in the fridge until ready to use.

Mix the flour, cornstarch, Cajun seasoning and cayenne pepper (if using) in a bowl and set aside.

Remove the chicken from the bag and pat dry.

Dip each piece of chicken in the flour mixture and shake off any excess.

Dip in the buttermilk and let any excess drip off.

Dip back in the flour mixture to finish the batter.

Heat about 3-4 inches of oil in a Dutch oven to 350F degrees. Gently lower in 2-3 thighs and cook about 3-5 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.

**Don't worry, the chicken is already cooked, we're just frying it to get the skin crispy.

Remove the chicken from the oil and place on a wire rack (with a paper towel underneath) to drain. Sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt and serve while hot.

Repeat with the second batch.

Expert tips

1. Removing the air from the bag is an important step that should not be skipped to avoid bacteria entering the bag.
2. If you use other cuts of chicken for this recipe like wings, drumsticks or breasts, just remember that they all have different cooking times and you may also need to adjust the temperature of your water bath.
3. For a spicier version, add more cayenne pepper and/or hot sauce.
4. When frying the chicken, keep the oil hot. The ideal temperature is 325F degrees. I like to keep a thermometer handy to check the temperature while cooking.
5. You also don’t want to overcrowd the pan as the temperature of the oil may dip below 325F degrees. To maintain this temperature, fry the chicken in at least two batches.
6. Use a flaky sea salt to finish the chicken when it is just coming out of the oil so it sticks to the crispy batter.

Common questions

Make ahead instructions

You can cook the chicken thighs in advance and store them in the fridge.

To do this, once the chicken thighs are cooked in the water bath, place them in an ice bath for 10-15 minutes to bring their temperature down quickly. Keep them in the vacuumed sealed bag and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

When ready to fry the thighs, place the bag of chicken in a water bath set to 155F degrees for about 10-15 minutes, until warmed through. Then follow the recipe for breading and frying the chicken thighs.  

Serving options

There are so many incredible side dish options for fried chicken. Here are a few of our favorites:

• To keep the entire meal on the spicy side, serve your fried chicken with spicy mac and cheese and jalapeño hush puppies.
• Mashed sweet potatoes, truffle mashed potatoes, Instant Pot collard greens or crockpot au gratin potatoes would complete this comfort food meal.
• Another potato option are these easy air fryer baked potatoes.
• Baked parsnip fries and grilled corn would lighten up the meal a bit.
• Keep the southern vibes going with these southern green beans.

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out!